Beach Hut 512

by Dorothy Koomson

“Thrilling and twisty with an ending that made me gasp. Highly enjoyable.”―B A Paris

“Dare you look inside Beach Hut 512? This is one wild ride that packs a mighty punch.”―Janice Hallett

This read-in-one-sitting short story from the Queen of the Big Reveal will have you glued to the pages—and gasping at the final twist.

When vandals destroy beach hut 512 on Brighton’s iconic seafront, they reveal a dead body that has apparently lain undisturbed for two months. But according to the hut’s owner, Sims, its locks rusted shut three months ago and she hasn’t had access to it since. So how could the man have got in, and why is there no evidence of the murderer?

Sims has spent the past three years recovering from the trauma of being targeted by a serial killer and narrowly escaping with her life. But this grim discovery feels like too much of a could the person who put the body in her hut be the same man who wants her dead? In a desperate race against time, can she uncover the truth behind beach hut 512 before a murderer with a chilling obsession strikes again?

Genres: Thriller, Short Stories, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

97 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2025

About the author

Hello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.

I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.

Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.

Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug

Reviews

[Lisa B · Rating 4 out of 5]

For 97 pages a lot was written I enjoyed this short story about a murder with a lot of suspects.


Set in Brighton England a man’s body was found but it had been there a few months without detection the hut 512 hard been empty so how did the body get there.

The residents who own the huts along the sandy beach 🏖️ area belong to a group chat club called hutters for people who own huts 🛖 could it be a serial killer??


This book was enjoyable a lot put into this one I worked out who the body was early but still enjoyed this one 4 solid stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon Prime First Reads - June 2025, a bonus short story.

I’ve enjoyed this authors books over the years so was delighted with this bonus offering. It’s well worth an hour of your time as it packs a lot in. Don’t think I’ll look at a beach hut quite the same but that’s not to say I don’t covet one!!!

[Cristina Neves · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing short story!

Two timelines:
1 - "Then"
Where we get acquainted with what happened to Sims, a chemistry professor, three years ago when she was the only woman to survive a serial killer, got him apprehended by the police, but never arrested, because he was able to escape on the way to the station!

2 - "Now"
Living in Brighton were several beach huts start being vandalized by persons or person unknown.
When Sims hut, number 512, is sledgehammered and a dead body is found inside, she thinks it's related to her stalker still trying to kill her.
But the locks are jammed do the salt air and she hasn't been inside for three months!

So how could that be?
Who is the dead body?
Who are the vandals?

The answer to these questions is absolutely surprising!!

[Laura Lovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beach Huts are no joke

This short story was ominous and entertaining and a complete one sit read.
Yes it was all over the place...
I was shaking my head in disbelief...
But there was a twist i didn't see coming and it was an enjoyable read.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve heard it said by many authors that it’s harder to write a short story, well this went off with a bang and the finish was unexpectedly good. I’m not sure what I was expecting really based around Beach Huts, but the depth of suspense and mystery was truly well plotted and even I was fooled. There’s some equally nasty dislikable characters in this of both female and male suspicions are rapidly firing in my mind.

Very enjoyable quick read

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

the setup…
Sims has only recently acquired beach hut 512 on the seafront of Brighton. It is an intended respite after her recovery from being assaulted and nearly dying at the hands of a serial killer three years ago. But when she finally visits after having been away for months, Sims finds that her hut was vandalized and a dead body discovered inside. And, apparently he’s been there for two months.

the heart of the story…
It’s quite a feat to pull off past and present transitions in a short story and this one works. We get the points of view from Sims and the serial killer. Who’s been vandalizing the beach huts? Who was the man inside? Who was his killer? I wasn’t sure where this was going but then it took a turn and its cleverness was revealed.

the narration…
Debbie Korley and Simon Mattacks delivered strong performances and I enjoyed their storytelling. They made me believe in their characters and the story.

the bottom line…
This story crept up on me and I didn’t realize what was really going on until near the end. This is my first by Koomson in this genre and I’ve now another reason to be a fan. Nicely done.

Posted on Blue Mood Café

(Thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)

[Jo Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read or rated a short story so highly. They’re usually never enough or an opener for something else, but this was short sharp and I was riveted. Also a great reminder that I love Dorothy Koomson’s writing, and it’s been ages since I read anything from her!

Great narration too.

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook, which is available now 🎧

[RoosBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fantastic short read! Sims is a wonderful character: smart, careful, tragic. I also loved reading from the perspective of the killer- seeing how his mind twisted logic and reason to justify his insanity and how he evolved over his spree.

thank you to NetGalley, the author Dorothy Koomson, and Brilliance Publishing for my copy of this book.

[Karly · Rating 2 out of 5]

My Rating 2⭐️⭐️ eh… it was average at best!!

Well the short stories are killing me… and this was no different. It was a bit longer at 97 pages but… no better. The writing was actually not too bad, and it had promise… it was just a bit of a let down if you ask me.

I fell asleep almost right at the end… and I know i keep telling you I am tired but… if a book is kicking arse then I stay awake. Especially when Serial Killers are involved. I don’t believe I am saying this… but I might just need to head back to RomComs !!! Who am I!!!

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite LITERALLY the definition of a beach read! it was a little all over the place but over all it serves it's purpose of entertaining

[Debbi Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dorothy Koomson can do no wrong in my eyes.

[Aya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been wanting to check out Dorothy Koomson's books and Beach Hut 512 was a great place to start for me.

I wasn't expecting much as it's not easy for an author to have a decent story in just a few thousand words. But Dorothy Koomson pulled it off. Nothing was in a rush from the beginning to the end and the development of the plot was reasonable. The ending was a perfect closure and I couldn't think of a better one.

3.5 stars, Dorothy Koomson had won me over with this novella. I would love to read more of her books.

[Tierney Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! A clever and fully engaging short story that had me wondering and thinking thru its 95 pages. Dual timeline, dual POV, neatly intercut. So good!

[crίѕтίŋα•●Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ●• · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ I was almost murdered by a serial killer.
(…)
What do you do?’ ‘Try to pretend that I wasn’t almost killed by a murderer who the police allowed to escape, so now I know he’s out there somewhere, waiting to get another chance to finish the job.’”
- Simmondsia Rumakah

——

“Being on the receiving end of violence – even against an object of yours – unsettles you in ways it’s often hard to articulate. It doesn’t just cause you physical pain, it robs you of mental and emotional balance. It plants, usually very deep, seeds of fear and doubt that grow slowly and blossom regularly, sowing more doubt and fear so everything becomes tainted, taken over and covered in the thick, sinewy vines of dread and distress, anxiety and panic.”
- Simmondsia Rumakah

[John Grain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utterly idiotic, badly written nonsense. I would have given a sixth former detention if they’d come up with this as a story. A strong reason to have a zero stars option on Goodreads.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like this author and was enjoying this book, interested to see where it was building too but I found the ending rushed and didn't live up to the build up- too many new elements introduced in the last pages that had no basis from before. Just not for me. 2.5

[Caitlin Bunting · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just ok, a short book if you are in a reading slump but nothing special. I am finding some of these short thrillers a bit hit and miss. This one just didn’t do it for me.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short story, and it was one that was offered as a bonus book on Amazon Firsts in June. Not one to pass up a freebie, I decided to give it a go.

The story is a one-sitting read, well, for me it was. Its main character is Sims, who bought a beach hut in Brighton as a favour to help someone out. This did not go down well with some of "the committee", as there is a waiting list for these huts. The control by the beach huts committee sounds very similar to some of the extreme Homeowners Associations you hear about in the US.

Sims doesn't spend much time at her hut over the winter, but when vandals wreck it, she makes the effort to visit. The police are in attendance, far more than necessary, until she is told that there is a body that has been discovered!

For a short story, the author definitely packs a lot of information, detail, and storytelling into this. It is the first time I have read anything by this author, so this was a great introduction. There is a second character, Ronald. The author flips between the two, and gradually the full picture emerges. Sims has been a victim before, she doesn't want to be one again.

I really enjoyed this, and if you are looking for a quick read that is full of intrigue, drama and suspense, then this is one that I would be happy to recommend.

[Abbie O'Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

69/100

I felt like this story was trying to be two things: a cosy mystery about sabotaged beach huts in Brighton and a thriller about a historical serial killer. It was readable, and I felt drawn to the protagonist. However, there was a lot of telling and not showing and some implausibility baked into the plot. Some of these issues might have been easier to avoid as a novel instead of a short story. I'll probably try this author again, especially if they write a full length novel.

As per my tags, this is a freebie from Amazon to Prime members for June 2025 and will likely be a part of their Kindle Unlimited program in future months.

[Chris Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really rich characters for such a short story, but it all seemed a bit far fetched for me in the end.

[Sophie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this pretty boring unfortunately

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and suspenseful short story.

[Sara (my_kindle_and_me) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beach Hut 512 by Dorothy Koomson really surprised me in the best way.
It’s a short story, but it felt emotionally rich and complete, like a full novel wrapped into a smaller package.

The writing was smooth and engaging, with characters that felt real and relatable. Even without a lot of tension or twists, the story held my interest throughout. It had a quiet depth to it that made it feel more meaningful than I expected.

It was my first book by this author, and now I’m definitely curious to read more.
A thoughtful, well-written story that’s perfect when you want something short but emotionally satisfying.

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

A scary serial killer murder mystery that bevies wrote fun by the end: a woman is stalked and nearly killed by a serial killer who she accidentally upsets. Some time later, as she is getting her life into order again, he appears again: this time dead in her beach but, discovered after it was vandalised.

I enjoyed the ending, but I find it difficult to believe the police didn't accuse the main character of killing the dead guy: after all, he had tried to kill her in the past, so she might have taken her revenge. At least, it is what TV and books lead us to believe; that the police will assume the most obvious suspect is guilty

[Chloë Blyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the bonus free read on Kindle First this month, and I loved it. A quick and gripping crime read set locally. I rarely read books set in places I've actually been, so this added to the enjoyment for me.

The story cleverly tells what happened before and what is happening now, but still manages to have a big reveal and surprise bonus twist at the end.

A really lovely crime novella, perfect for a rainy morning in bed!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot happens in such a short book from a serial murderer/stalker to the discovery of a dead body to the vandalisation of beach huts on Brighton Beach. This story doesn’t feel rushed however, progressing swiftly but in a well-written manner. I did have the end twist guessed wrong but i enjoyed the actual ending a lot more.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never read a short story before, but I got this as a free bonus read from Amazon prime. This short story could’ve been a full length book, but it didn’t need to be. I loved Sim’s character and hated Tamsyn, such an awful character!

There was so much detail in this tiny book and I still didn’t figure out the ending! Bravo!

[amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

sims' beach hut was vandalised and a body was found in it, estimated to have been dead for 2 months but sims hasnt been in it in over 3 months.

this was an easy short story! it was enjoyable and a very easy read

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining short story.
Sims has always wanted a beach hut and after escaping the clutches of a serial killer, she gets the opportunity to own one.
She is shocked when it is vandalised and even more so when the Police find a dead body in it.